The winner of this month’s Name That Plane is Tim Donovan, a Training Coordinator for TSA. This is Tim’s winning entry.
One of the most versitile fighter /bombers of the Vietnam Era. The F-105 Mach 2 fighter-bomber proved it’s worth when it was pushed into service in Vietnam - as a tactical strike aircraft, a role it was never designed for - where climatic and combat conditions demonstrated it’s durability. In combat the aircraft was equipped with a 20mm Vulcan cannon in the nose (able to fire 6000 rounds per minute) and up to 16,750 pounds of bombs or rockets (Sidewinders, Bullpups or Shrikes) on external

return home safely. It was particularly effective in Vietnam in the “Wild Weasel” role as a SAM (Surface-to-Air) missile site destroyer. In smashing railways, blowing up bridges, destroying steel mills and even tangling with Migs, the F-105 wrote itself into the pages of aviation history. On flights over North Vietnam, F-105’s would face MIGS, Surface-to-Air missiles, intense anti-aircraft flak and even automatic weapons fire. This was the most intense combat environment ever encountered in aviation history.

We received some interesting additional facts about this aircraft from several contributors: John Ippolito, Joe Elliot of Port Authority:
The F-105 was part of the Century Series of aircraft that were designed from the 1950s through the 1960s. Originally designed as a fighter/bomber and used by the USAF, the Thud was widely used for ground attack missions during Vietnam. It’s most notable use was for “Wild Weasel” SAM suppression missions over North Vietnam. The F-105 was removed from service by the mid 1970s.

And from Lt. Dan Carbonaro of PA NYNJ Police:
The F-105B also introduced a fourpetal, cloverleaf set of air brakes (in operation in the Airport Press photo) fitted around the jet engine exhaust orifice at the extreme rear of the aircraft. The four segments could be deployed in several different configurations, depending on the needs of the mission. They could be opened outward to a maximum angle of 90 degrees. During landing, only the two side segments could be deployed because the bottom segment had insufficient ground clearance and the top segment would block the brake ‘chute deployment. The first YF-105B flew on May 26, 1956, piloted by Republic test pilot Lin Hendrix and on June 19, 1956, the name Thunderchief was officially given to the F-105. The first production F-105B took off on its maiden flight on May 14, 1957 with Henry G. Beaird Jr. at the controls.

Other correct answers received from John Gargan, PA NYNJ, John Ippolito of BfiIndustries, Bing Zhou of East Forwarding Services, Dave Podesta of PA NY NY Police and Mike Newell of Century Ford